(A) Except as provided in this section, whenever a timber buyer or timber operator purchases trees, timber, or wood by the load directly from a timber grower and the load is sold by weight, cord, or measure of board feet, the timber buyer or timber operator must furnish the timber grower or seller within thirty days of the completion of the timber harvest a separate, true, and accurate wood load ticket for each and every load of wood removed from the seller's property. At a minimum, each wood load ticket must include in writing that is clearly legible the following:

(1) the ticket number;

(2) the name and address of the person, and the location of the facility receiving, weighing, scaling, or measuring the trees, timber, or wood;

(3) the date the trees, timber, or wood was received at the facility;

(4) the tract name or landowner;

(5) county and state of origin;

(6) the dealer's name if any;

(7) the producer or logging company name;

(8) the species of wood;

(9) the type of product;

(10) the weight or scale information:

(a) if the load is measured by weight, the gross, tare, and net weights must be shown; or

(b) if the load is measured by scale, the total volume must be shown; and

(11) the weight, scale, or amount of wood deducted and the deduction classification.

(B) The provisions of this section do not apply to:

(1) the sale of wood for firewood only;

(2) a landowner harvesting and processing his own timber; and

(3) bulk or lump-sum sales for an agreed total price for all timber purchased and sold in one transaction.

(C) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both.

HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 288, Section 2.